On Self-Harm, Narcissism, Atonement and the Vulnerable Christ

by Meconi, David Vincent; Hollingworth, Miles

• ISBN13: 9781501326202
• ISBN10: 1501326201
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2017-10-05
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

The Reading Augustine series presents concise, personal readings of St. Augustine of Hippo from leading philosophers and religious scholars.

On Self-Harm, Narcissism, Atonement and the Vulnerable Christ explores St. Augustine of Hippo's understanding of the nature and root of sin, described as various forms of self-loathing and self-destruction, as well as sin's antidote, a vulnerable relationship with God. Incorporating recent thinking on self-destruction and self-loathing into his reading of Augustine, David Vincent Meconi explores why we are not only allured by sin, but will actually destroy ourselves to attain it, even when that sin will bring us no true pleasure.

Author Biography

David Vincent Meconi, S.J., is Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University, USA. His recent publications include The One Christ: St. Augustine's Theology of Deification (2013) and, as editor, The Confessions: Saint Augustine of Hippo (2012) and (co-edited with Eleonore Stump) The Cambridge Companion to Augustine (2014). He is the Editor of Homiletic and Pastoral Review.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. Graced Evil?
2. “You Shall be Gods”
3. Pears and Power
4. Destroying the Beautiful:
5. Loving by Hating
6. Divine Emptiness and Human Fulfillment
7. Love Never Competes Against Love
Conclusion
Index